Detonating device.



PATENTED JULY 25, 1905.

G. M. POTTER. DETONATING DEVICE. APPLoATIoN FILED JULY 29.1904.

GEQIVLPOTTER INVENTOH WLT NESSES ATTYS.

hI-ii PATENT4 ormoni.

GEORGE M. POTTER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

lDET'ONATlNC- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1905.

Application filed July 29, 1904. Serial No. 218,759.

T0 ffl/fl whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE M. POTTER, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Detonating Devices, of which the following' is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to detonating devices for torpedoes and the like; and it has for its objects the production of a device of this character that is strong' in construction and that is simple and economical in manufacture, the parts being formed separately and thereafter assembled in operative condition.

While it is not my intention to limit my invention to the specific structures shown, I will describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-` Figure l is a longitudinal section through a repeating detonator, showing the plunger or hammer in its raised or feeding position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the plunger in its exploding position. F ig. 3 is a view in elevation of the same form of detonator, showing the manner in which the parts are assembled. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through a single-shooter detonator having one form of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the parts as they are being assembled. Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 4C. Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 7 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section through a detonator having another form of my invention applied thereto; and Figs. 9 and l0 are transverse sections taken on the lines 9 9 and 10 l0, respectively, of Fig. 8.

In the manufacture of these devices it is absolutely essential that they be made strong, owing to the tremendous concussion due to the exploding torpedo, and it is also necessary, from a commercial point of view, that they be made cheaply. Any surplus stock and every step in the process of assembling adds to the cost, and it is for the purpose of reducing the amount of stock and lessening the labor of assembling that my present invention has been produced.

` Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the exploding-head, and 2 the plunger or hammer that reciprocates therein.

In Figs. l to 3 I have shown a form of my invention applied to a repeating detonator, while in the remaining 'gures the same is shown as applied to detonators of the singleshooter type. As the invention is therefore independent of the repeating features of the form shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, it is not deemed necessary to describe said features herein. In said figures the exploding-head has a rectangular slot 3, that extends vertically throughout a considerable length of the head, and the plunger is provided with a lug or projection 4, that is adapted to move up and down within said slot, said lug being formed integral with the plunger. The upper wall 5 of this slot is slit on one side at 6, this structure making it easy to assemble the parts, as will hereinafter appear.

While cast-iron is one of the cheapest materials fromwhich the head l can be made, its use for such a purpose is objectionable because of its brittleness, this quality making it necessary to form the walls of such extreme thickness as to render the detonators unwieldy and expensive. Furthermore, owing to this same quality it is impracticable to use force in assembling the parts, so that the same must either be assembled in the casting operation, as is disclosed in my Patentv No. 689,906, granted December 3l, 1901, which is tedious and expensive, or they must be held from separation by screws or pins after the parts are once assembled. I therefore make the head l of malleable material, preferably malleable iron, and the parts are assembled by driving the plunger or hammer into the bore of the head, the material of the latter yielding as the lugr passes the wall 5 of the head, the distance through the lug and the plunger, taken on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the latter, being greater than the normal space across the bore opposite the slot. In Fig. 3 I have shown the position the parts assume while the device is being thus assembled, from which it will appear that the slit 6 opens to permit the lug to enter the slot 3. After the lug has passed through the slit the latter is easily closed by a blow from a hammer directed against the side of the head, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, after which the plunger is securely retained within the head, although it is free to move therein.

It is entirely practicable and for some reasons preferable to omit the slit 6 and leave the wall 5 continuous across the upper end of Such a structure is shown in Figs.

4 to l0. In the form illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 the lug 4 is of substantially the same shape as has been described, and it is simply forced beneath the wall 5, which yields as the plunger is driven into the head, as is shown in Figs. and 7. After the lug has passedthe wall the latter is returned to its original shape by a blow delivered in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 7.

In both forms described the lug 4 is beveled on its lower side, so that it can be easily driven into the slot. While this is the preferred shape, it is obvious that various forms may be substituted therefor.

I n all the forms shown a socket is provided in the plunger for a cane 7, by means of which the detonator may be carried and operated in a manner well understood. In the forms heretofore described the lug 4 projects from the surface of the plunger, which is made of substantially uniform diameter throughout its length, except at the upper end, where a strengtheningbead 8 is employed. Inasmuch as the cane must be large enough to withstand cthe strain due to the thrust put upon it in producing the explosion, it will be seen that the plungers shown in Figs. 1 and 4 must be of considerable diameter and that the heads 1 must be correspondingly large. To reduce the size of these parts, the device may be constructed as shown in Figs. 8 to 10, in which the head is of practically vthe same form as that shown in Fig. 4, except the slot 9 is much wider than the slot 3. The plunger 10, however, differs in shape, as it is materially reduced in size below the socket for the cane, and it has no lug projecting from its general contour. The lower end of the plunger is round in cross-section to 'fit the bore of the head; but above said end at 11 it is flattened, so that a ledge 12 is formed. When the parts are assembled, the plunger is'simply inserted within the head, after which the wall 13 is bent inwardly, as shown in Fig. 9, so that it lies across the path of the ledge 12 and prevents the withdrawal of the plunger. Owing to the fact that the plunger 10 is of solid metal, a sufficient weight is provided for exploding the torpedoes, even if the plunger is of small diameter.

While in disclosing my invention it has been necessary to illustrate and describe specic forms of devices, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not intended to be limited thereto any further than the specific language of the claims or the prior art necessarily require.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a detonating device, an explodinghead made of malleable material and having a slot, a wall closing the slot at one end, a plunger mounted for movement within the said head, said plunger having an integral lug projecting therefrom, said lug having an inclined face and being adapted to force the said wall outwardly as the parts are assembled, and being intercepted thereby after the wall has returned to its original position, whereby the plunger and head are maintained in operative relation.

2. In a detonating device, an explodinghead made of malleable material and having a slot, a wall closing the upper end of said slot, a plunger mounted for movement within the said head, said plunger having a wedge-shaped lug projecting therefrom, said lug being adapted to forcethe material of the said wall outwardly as the parts are assembled, and being intercepted by the said wall when it is returned to its normal position, whereby the plunger and head are maintained in operative relation.

3. In a detonating' device, an explodinghead made of malleable material and having a slot, a wall closing the slot at one end, said wall being slit, a plungermounted formovement within the said head, said plunger having an enlarged portion, said portion being adapted to force open the slit in said wall as the parts are assembled, and said wall intercepting the enlarged portion when the parts are returned to normal position, whereby the plunger and head are maintained inoperative relation.

4. In a detonating device an explodinghead made of malleable material and havinga slot, a Wall closing the slot at one end, said wall being slit, a plunger mounted for movement i within the said head, said plunger having a wedge-shaped lug, said lug being adapted to force open the slit in the wall as the parts are assembled, the said lug being intercepted by the wall when the parts are returned to normal position, whereby the plunger and .the head are maintained in operative relation.

5.l In a detonating device, an explodingheadmade of malleable material, a plunger mounted for movement within said head, said plunger having an engaging portion and the exploding-head having a part that is adapted to be bent into position to intercept the said engaging portion whereby the plunger and head are maintained in operative relation.

6. In a detonating device, an explodinghead made of malleable material and having a slot, a plunger mounted for movement within said head, said plunger having an engaging portion located in said slot and the exploding- 'head above said slot being adapted to be bent to intercept the said engaging portion, whereby the plunger and head are maintained in operative relation.

7. In a detonating device, an explodinghead made of malleable material and having a slot and a bore, a plunger mounted for movement within the said bore, said plunger having a lug extending into the slot, the distance through the lug and the plunger, taken on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the latter, being greater than the normal space across the bore opposite the said slot, said plunger and lug being adapted to be forced into the bore, the material of the head being adapted to yield to permit the lug to enter the slot and to be returned to normal position whereby the plunger and the head are maintained in operative relation.

8. In a detonating device, an explodinghead made of malleable material and having' a slot and a bore, a wall closing the slot at one end, said wall being slit, a plunger mounted for movement within the said bore, said plunger having a lug projecting into the said slot, the distance through the lug and the plunger, taken Ona plane perpendicular to the axis of the latter, being greater than the normal space across the bore opposite the said slot, said plunger and lug being adapted to be driven into the bore, whereby the said slit in the wall is opened to permit the lug to pass into the slot and the material of the wall being adapted to be then returned to normal position, whereby the plunger and the head are maintained in operative relation.

ln testimony whereotl I aliix my signaturein the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. POTTER.

Witnesses:

S. E. FOUTZ, B. W. BROCKETT. 

